History

The World Federalist Movement evolved out of a series of national organizations and efforts that started in the 1930s as a response to the failure of the League of Nations and in the attempt of creating the kind of global order that could prevent world war. At the end of the Second World War, numerous citizens’ groups formed across Europe and North America to address the need for effective mechanisms of ensuring international peace and stability, realizing that the United Nations with its original structure would not be able to meet its first preambular goal: 'to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war'.

The groups started working independently of each other, publishing newsletters and pushing for reform and monitoring of the newly formed United Nations. By 1947 these independent groups recognized the need for unity in their movement if they were to achieve unity in the world. They agreed to meet in Montreux, Switzerland in August 1947 to work on forming a cohesive group, creating what is today the World Federalist Movement.

On August 17th 1947, more than 300 participants representing 51 organizations and numerous observers gathered in Montreux for the opening of the first 'Conference of the World Movement for World Federal Government'. Max Habicht opened the meeting and declared that as Federalists they wanted a world government that 'will create the Parliament of Man, in which the representatives of the people of the world will make world laws by majority vote'. Mr. Habicht described the Covenant of the League of Nations and the Charter of San Francisco as 'only steps on the path leading to a better organization, the World Federal Government, which alone, can guarantee world peace. We fear that the United Nation's efforts towards peace, like those of the League of Nations, may not be successful, if the world is not willing to take this next step to World Federal Government.' He concluded, 'Federalists in all countries of the world will try to make a contribution to this political evolution. We are here in Montreux to coordinate our activities and to make them more effective.'

The Founding meeting concluded with the adoption of the 'Montreux Declaration; The Principles for World Federal Government'.

At first, world federalists sought fundamental revisions of the United Nations Charter. After 1965, however, it became apparent that any political will among the world’s national governments to change the Charter had dissipated. Later world federalists continued to propose reforms of existing institutions to make them more effective and democratic. Many focused on the effort to transform the General Assembly into a world parliament that can enact world law instead of merely making non-binding resolutions. In addition, world federalists made proposals for new United Nations institutions and international organs, such as the Commission on Sustainable Development, International Development Authority, and International Criminal Court (ICC).

Montreux Declaration

“We world federalists meeting in Montreux [Switzerland] at the first international congress of the "World Movement for World Federal Government," call upon the peoples of the world to join us in our work.

We are convinced that mankind cannot survive another world conflict.

Two years have passed since the fighting ended, but Europe and Asia are still strewn with the wreckage of war.

The work of rehabilitation is paralyzed; the peoples suffer from lack of shelter, food and clothing, while the nations waste their substance in preparing to destroy each other.The second attempt to preserve peace by means of a world organization, the United Nations, is powerless, as at present constituted, to stop the drift of war.

We world federalists are convinced that the establishment of a world federal government is the crucial problem of our time. Until it is solved, all other issues, whether national or international, will remain unsettled. It is not between free enterprise and planned economy, nor between capitalism and communism that the choice lies, but between federalism and power politics. Federalism alone can assure the survival of man.

We world federalists affirm that mankind can free itself forever from war only through the establishment of a world federal government. Such a federation must be based on the following principles:

1. Universal membership: The world federal government must be open to all peoples and nations.

2. Limitation of national sovereignty, and the transfer to the world federal government of such legislative, executive and judicial powers as relate to the world affairs.

3. Enforcement of world law directly on the individual whoever or wherever he may be, within the jurisdiction of the world federal government: guarantee of the rights of man and suppression of all attempts against the security of the federation.

4. Creation of supranational armed forces capable of guaranteeing the security of the world federal government and of its member states. Disarmament of member nations to the level of their internal policing requirements.

5. Ownership and control by the world federal government of atomic development and of other scientific discoveries capable of mass destruction.

6. Power to raise adequate revenues directly and independently of state taxes.

We propose to make use of any reasonable methods which can contribute to the early achievement of world federal government to prevent another world war.

We consider that integration of activities at regional and functional levels is consistent with the true federal approach. The formation of regional federations – insofar as they do not become an end in themselves or run the risk of crystallizing into blocs – can and should contribute to the effective functioning of federal government. In the same way, the solution of technical, scientific and cultural problems which concern all the peoples of the world, will be made easier by the establishment of specialist functional bodies.

Taking into account these principles, we recommend the following lines of action:

1. The mobilization of the peoples of the world to bring pressure on their governments and legislative assemblies to transform the United Nations Organization into world federal government by increasing its authority and resources, and by amending its Charter.

2. Unofficial and concerted action: in particular the preparation of a world constituent assembly, the plan of campaign for which shall be laid down by the Council of the Movement in close cooperation with the parliamentary groups and federalist movements in the different countries. This assembly, set up in collaboration with organized international groups, shall meet not later than 1950 for the purpose of drawing up a constitution for the world federal government. This plan shall be submitted for ratification, not only by the governments and parliaments, but also to the peoples themselves, and every possible effort shall be made to get the world federal government finally established in the shortest possible time.

Without prejudging the results of these two methods of approach, we must expand our action as quickly as possible, so that we may take advantage of any new opportunities which present themselves to the federalist cause. One thing is certain, we shall never realize world federal government unless all the peoples of the world join in the crusade.More than ever time presses. And this time we must not fail.

[Source: World Movement for World Federal Government. Montreux Declaration, 23 August 1947. Switzerland: Secretariat for World Movement for World Federal Government, 1947.]

Historical timeline

1937

Campaign for World Government started in Chicago

1938

Federal Union formed in the United Kingdom, advocating both European and World Federations

1939

Publication of Union Now by Clarence Streit, calling for a federation of the Atlantic democracies

1940

The United Nations formed

1945

Emery Reves’ An Anatomy of Peace published. Reves argues that the causes of war are the absence of world law and world government

1947

United World Federalist formed in merger of Americans United for World Government and World Federalists, USAMontreux Meeting: The World Movement for World Federal Government established and Usborne Plan, a campaign for a Constituent Assembly of Peoples, draftedRobert Hutchins and G.A. Borgese’s Preliminary Draft of a World Constitution releasedFounding of the International Register of World CitizensConstituent Assembly of Peoples and Consultative Congress in GenevaFounding of the World Association of Parliamentarians for World GovernmentNEPTUNO Plan calling for United Nations sovereignty over the oceansName of the Movement changed to World Association of World Federalists (WAWF)Congress in the Hague received by Queen JulianaFederal Union publishes Proposals for a Permanent United Nations Force

1958

World Peace through World Law published, written by Grenville Clark and Louis B. Sohn

1961

McCloy-Zorin Agreement reached between the United States and the Soviet Union, a joint agreement on recommended principles general and complete disarmament with verification by UN inspectors

1962

NGO round table in New York organized by WAWF discusses disarmament, decolonization, aid to under-developed countries, and structure of the UN SecretariatU Thant speech at Uppsala, Sweden calls for world government

1963

Pope John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris Encyclical released, endorsing a world authority to deal with global problems

1967

World Peace through World Economy manifesto released, authored by Finn Laursen and other young federalists with the assistance of economist Jan Tinbergen

1969

Peacemakers Academy established with General Rhkye as President. Later becomes the International Peace Academy

1970

Law of the Sea negotiation. World Federalists rally public support for the Law of the Sea treaty. Treaty adopted after a decade of negotiations

1972

World Federalists launch the Planetary Citizenship Campaign

1978

Parliamentarians for World Order established1983 Institute for Global Policy (IGP) formed as an affiliated body of the Movement “to carry out research and educational projects of relevance for world order reform”

1984

1987

Name of the Movement changed to World Association for World Federation

1988

Third Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Disarmament. World Federalists across the globe lobby their governments on positive steps towards a global security system, with special emphasis on monitoring and verification

1989

UN Declares 1990-1999 the Decade of International LawThe first Global Structures Convocation “Structures for Peace” gathers hundreds of peace activists and other in Washington, DCDelegation of World Federalists present their plan for United Nations security forces to UN Under-Secretary General for Special Political Affairs Marrack Goulding

1991

Name of the Movement changed to World Federalist Movement

1992

“Earth Summit” or the UN Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, gathering the largest number of NGOs together in historySecond Global Structures convocation, organized by the World Federalist Association addresses issues of environment and development. Over 1,400 people attend

1994

The UN General Assembly adopts the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, a permanent ban on nuclear testing sought by World Federalists and many other peace activists for over fifty yearsWorld Federalists around the world hold a vigil on the UN financial crisis1995 WFM convenes the first meeting of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC). WFM Executive Director William R. Pace serves as Convenor.

1997

Earth Summit II. WFM Co-sponsors an NGO/parliamentary plenary held panel to the Summit plenary at the UN1998 International Criminal Court treaty conference held in Rome, Italy. The movement is the Convenor for the broad-based coalition of citizen’s group advocating the creation of a permanent International Criminal Court

1999

The Hague Appeal for Peace conference. WFM helps organize the global citizens peace conference which will be the first of a series of intergovernmental, General Assembly, and Red Cross conferences which together comprise the Third Hague Peace Conference

2001

The Organization of African Unity changes its name to the African Union 53 African states are members of the new intergovernmental organizationThe International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS) releases a report that first introduces the concept of the "responsibility to protect."

2002

The Rome Statute on the International Criminal court enters into force with 60 signatory countries ratifying the treaty

The Millenium +5 Review Summit held at the UN headquarters in New York. The reform agenda proposed in the Secretary General's report In Larger Freedom is the largest in UN history, and includes a call for a new peacebuilding architecture at the UN. World leaders agree that they have a responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, and to act on this responsibility.In September, world leaders endorse the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).In December, the Security Council and General Assembly establish PBC in concurrent resolutions.

2006

Following the selection of the eighth UN Secretary-General, IGP launches the UNelections.org Campaign for the appointment of better and more qualified leaders for those global institutions addressing the most sensitive and pressing problems of our world community.WFM-IGP launches its global civil society project on the PBC as the Peacebuilding Commission holds first meeting in June

2007

The Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) advocating citizen's representation at the United Nations launches at more than one dozen events on five continents.

In June, the PBC submits its first annual report to the General Assembly and Security Council.

2008

In June, the first biannual reviews of progress in peacebuilding in Burundi and Sierra Leone are held.

Commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is held at UN Headquarters in New York.

2009

The International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect is founded January 2009. The first U.N. debate on the Responsibility to Protect takes place in July 2009.

2010

In May and June the Review Conference of the Rome Statute takes place in Kampala, Uganda, with states parties reaffirming their commitment to the ICC and agreeing on amendments to the Rome Statute, including one on the crime of aggression.

2012

The 65th Anniversary of the founding of the World Federalist Movement. The 24th WFM Congress is held at the University of Winnipeg in Winnipeg Canada.

2013

As the result of the Rio+20 conference a universal, intergovernmental High Level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF) is created and has its first meeting on September 24 2013. The mission of this High Level Political Forum is to strengthen the UN’s work on sustainable development, and will work to keep the issue of sustainable development high in the political agenda which is usually driven by short term crises.

Restraining the veto

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“We have nothing to lose except everything. So let's go ahead. This is the wager of our generation. If we are to fail, it is better, in any case, to have stood on the side of those who choose life than on the side of those who are destroying it.”

Albert Camus, Author

"Unless some effective supranational government can be set up and brought quickly into action, the prospects of peace and human progress are dark and doubtful."

Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister

"There must be, not a balance of power, but a community of power; not organized rivalries, but an organized common peace."

President Woodrow Wilson

"World federation is an idea that will not die. More and more people are coming to realize that peace must be more than an interlude if we are to survive; that peace is a product of law and order; that law is essential if the force of arms is not to rule the world."

William O. Douglas, Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice

“Science has made unrestricted national sovereignty incompatible with human survival. The only possibilities are now world government or death.”

Bertrand Russell, Philosopher

"Few organisations have sustained for so long the ambition of a better world, united in peace and committed to the ideals of the United Nations. In particular, WFM's support for the International Criminal Court has been critical in building a constituency of civil society and government actors engaged in the pursuit of justice. 10 years into that effort, WFM has much to celebrate."

Hon. Louise Arbour C.C., G.O.Q., President and CEO of International Crisis Group

“A federation of all humanity, together with a sufficient means of social justice to ensure health, education, and a rough equality of opportunity, would mean such a release and increase of human energy as to open a new phase in human history.”

H.G. Wells, Author

“For nearly five decades the World Federalists have worked to promote a strengthened UN and more effective institutions of global governance. I offer my personal endorsement. Now a great opportunity has opened for the realization of the dreams of the UN's founders.”

Walter Cronkite, Broadcast journalist

“There is no salvation for civilization, or even the human race, other than the creation of a world government.”

Albert Einstein, Scientist

"Your Movement has helped keep alive for fifty years the values which inspired the creation of the United Nations: the vision of a world prepared to act together against armed aggression, social ills and global threats, and united in its promotion of economic and social progress for all."

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan

“The work of the CICC, with like-minded states from around the world is a testament to what can be ac¬complished when civil society and governments work in partnership to bring about dramatic change.”

Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate

"I send my very best wishes to all of you as you continue your important work in support of peace, justice and equality for all. Your credibility is well established and your voice is more important than ever in a world of increasing inequalities, continued injustices, and emerging conflicts. I believe as you do in the mobilization of civil society actors who exercise their fundamental right to participate in their own governance.”

The Honorable Louise Arbour

“I have great regard for the World Federalist Movement's efforts to advance international justice, human rights, peace and security, the freedom of expression, and sustainable development around the world. “